


It's him or us

by orphan_account



Series: Rainy thoughts [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Bartender Derek Hale, Break Up, Cora Hale & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Derek Hale Takes Care of Stiles Stilinski, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Homophobia, Jealous Derek, M/M, POV Derek, Sad Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 00:25:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21467002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Why Stiles had chosen the restaurant where Derek works for his first meeting with his boyfriend's parents, he had no idea. But when the meeting goes awfully wrong, Derek's glad he's there to comfort his sister's bestfriend.And also the boy Derek had loved for years.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Rainy thoughts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1531037
Comments: 3
Kudos: 252





	It's him or us

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo here's another little scene I couldn't stop thinking about, hope you guys like it !

Derek's been working as a bartender in this semi-fancy restaurant in a quiet corner of New York for three years, ever since he's finished college in the same city. At first settling in a new place on the other side of the country, away from the rest of his family, had been difficult for someone like Derek, who's always been really close with his relatives. During his college years, he'd often went back to Beacon Hills and usually spent a least one hour each week on the phone with a member of his family, most often than not Laura, who love telling him all about the town's best gossip.

During his sophomore year, she'd told him Stiles was accepted in the same college as him, and that it was already his final decision to come to New York as well.

Derek had pretended he wasn't as excited as he really felt to learn Cora's best friend, who had become a part of the family after all these years, would join him in the grey city and bring a bit of the Californian sun with him.

Now five years later, Derek could easily admit to himself that he was sickly in love with the freckled boy.

But sadly, the reason that same man was leaning nervously against the other side of the bar while Derek was wiping it down, was that he was here to meet his boyfriend's, Devon, parents for the first time. The younger man was a mess of anxiety and self-doubt, and Derek could only reassure him that he was sure that they would love him, and that he was dressed just fine, while his mind was screaming at him in despair that this was the end, this was final. Stiles and Devon were officially made to last.

Two years ago, Stiles had texted him excitedly about this guy in his chemistry class who asked him if he wanted to work with him on a group project :

_"He looks so great and he smiled when I said yes !! Derek I think I saw angels" "He's so smart I'm dying" "Welp I'm going to his dorm on saturday !!" "Der"_

_"He kissed me dude"_

_"I think I'm in love"_

And so the story had begun, and shortly after, the two were officially dating while Derek watched from afar, bitterly regretting not having tried sooner to ask the boy out.

"Stop freaking out," Derek in the present time said, smiling fondly at the younger man as he fiddled with his sleeves. "You better go get a table before the rush comes."

Bright sparkly eyes shot up in alert, and Stiles straightened up urgently, making Derek shake his head. "You're right, geez, I'm sorry I'm just so nervous ! Well, better take your advice then..."

"Don't worry Stiles, I'm sure it'll go well. And if not...I've got whole bottles of alcohol behind here." He winked at a scoffing Stiles, dismissing him before he could say another word, and left him to go find a table.

In the next ten minutes, because of course Stiles came way too early, Derek sometimes brushed his gaze over the room and caught a glimpse of Stiles sitting alone at a four-people table, checking his phone and glancing around nervously. At some point, he saw Devon enter the restaurant and greet him with a nod before making his way over to Stiles and greeting him with a kiss, which always made Derek turn away with jealousy.

_Get over yourself_

While the couple waited for Devon's parents to arrive, Derek occupied himself with wiping down the bar despite it being clean as new. The two boys were sitting side by side, and even from his spot at the other side of the room, the bartender could see Devon's hand rubbing reassuringly Stiles' thigh, and the other holding the pale boy's fingers on the table.

He hated how good he was at calming him down. 

Exactly eleven minutes after Devon's arrival, the door opened again to reveal a middle-aged couple, but Derek only paid them attention because the woman had the same curly dark hair as Devon, and he could bet that they were his parents. His thoughts were confirmed when they immediately walked over to the table, where the young couple had their backs to them and hadn't seen them yet.

Derek put his towel down, glad he didn't have any customer at the moment, and concentrated on them, grateful that there weren't lots of clients yet so he could hear the exchange quite clearly. 

"Devon, hi sweetheart !" greeted the mother as she approached, Devon immediately getting up with a smile to greet them. Nervously, he saw Stiles do the same, awkwardly hovering behind his boyfriend.

"And who is this charming young man ?" the woman probed, designing Stiles as Devon still had an arm around her shoulders.

"Mom, dad, this is Stiles. The one I've told you about."

Devon's father shook Stiles hand politely, and then asked a question that froze the freckled boy in his movement : "Isn't your girlfriend here already ?"

Derek was speechless as he saw Stiles take a step back, a petrified smile on his face, and Devon quickly joining him and looping an arm around his waist. "Uh, no. This is actually my boyfriend, Stiles."

"Oh honey, what is this about ?"

"Mom" Devon sighed, gently pushing his boyfriend to the table, holding out a chair for him. "Please just sit. I told you about him."

As his parents took a seat in front of them, Derek noted the tense line of Stiles' shoulder, and how Devon's hand on his knee didn't seem to help him relax this time.

"Devon," the woman accused. "You didn't tell us you were seeing a _man. _You just said partner !"

"I told you his name !" Devon defended. "What's the big deal about it anyway ?"

"You said it was a nickname." the father interjected coldly. 

"We thought you had found a nice girlfriend ! You've never pulled this on us !"

From his spot, Derek couldn't help but feel compassion for Devon for the first time ever. He looked just about as uncomfortable as Stiles. A customer brought Derek's attention away from the scene, but he still kept a worried eye on his friend, who kept sitting stock still, not uttering a word.

After the customer was dealt with, it seemed like the family had come to a sort of agreement, seeing as the mother was now tentatively asking Stiles' questions about himself to get to know him. Devon was obviously relieved, now actively participating in the conversation, while his boyfriend was still unsure and short-spoken. The father, as for him, was sitting far from the table, his arms crossed and a murderous expression on his face, staring intensely at his son, who obviously did his best to ignore him. 

Derek winced when a waitress came to take their drink orders and didn't get an answer from him, creating an awkward silence until the mother said "he'll just take a beer, thanks."

He exchanged an compassionate look with her when she came to the bar, and noted with a tinge of bitter sadness that Stiles obviously hadn't ordered his favorite over-the top sugary pink lemonade which he kept insisting came with a paper umbrella and slice of grapefruit each time he came here. Instead, there was a simple glass of water written on the waitress' notebook, and he saw her deposit it in front of him when she brought the drinks to the table.

The four of them, well, three really, kept up their light conversation while they sipped, and it could seem like it was going better, only if Derek didn't feel the awkwardness from over there as the mother forced herself to address Stiles, and observe how the latter shrunk on himself, keeping his hands on his lap instead of flailing around like normally. The older man wanted nothing more than to get him out of there.

As the room filled more and more with customers, Derek couldn't keep track of the conversation anymore, having drinks to pour without a stop. 

It was about thirty minutes later when the tension became too much, and the father, who had kept quiet until then, snapped.

He slammed his glass on the table and got up, stating sharply "I can't do this. I can't believe this."

The rest of the table stared up at him in shock, Stiles flinching backwards like the table had burned him.

"I am not going to pretend I'm okay with this, because I am not. Devon, this isn't..." He shook his head, closing his eyes. "This isn't the son I raised."

He leveled his glare with his son, then slid it with disgust over to Stiles, who kept his head low, staring at his hands, and spit out "I didn't raise a _fag_."

And he promptly left the restaurant, leaving the entire room in a stunned silence. Slowly, the mother got up as well with a disappointed sigh. "Devon..." She began.

"Mom," his son pleaded. "I- Please mom, try to und-"

"No, no, sweetie... Your father's right. This isn't something we're comfortable with. You, you know how we, how our family feels about...That."

"Mom..." Devon tried again, getting up and walking to her.

"Devon." She cut. "I- I can't let you bring this upon yourself, I can't let you live like that. I'm sorry. But you know it's not something we agree with. I, I'm sorry Devon, but I can't let you bring this upon our family."

Derek stared with shock as understanding dawned on Devon face, and the boy looked so torn and _broken_ it hurt him despite his dislike for the man. 

"Mom, mom please. Please, you-"

"No, don't. You saw how upset you made your father. We don't need more trouble in this family. I'm giving you a choice, one last choice."

She designed Stiles form with a finger, who still wasn't looking up and visibly was shaking. 

"It's him or us."

And with that, with one last look at her son, he left to follow her husband.

Derek didn't know what to do at that point. Everyone in the room had witnessed the event, and were staring in shock at the two boys, who were still speechless at their table. 

After a few seconds of recovery, Devon took his mother's previous seat, and rested his head in his hands, hiding his eyes. Shyly, Stiles raised his eyes and Derek could hear his trembling voice crystal clear in the dead silence when he tentatively said his boyfriend's name.

Devon ignored him, rubbed at his face, and then pronounced his final words, struggling with his decision.

"Stiles, Stiles...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry but...I can't. I- It's not... I can't lose this."

The pale boy had reached a hand forward, resting it on the table as a silent invitation, but Devon just stared at it.

"I'm sorry. I can't do this."

He got up, throwing a bunch of coins on the table and grabbing his jacket, Stiles unmoving. "Dev..."

"I'm so sorry Stiles. But this is for the best. Bye."

And for the third time that evening, someone stormed out of the room with everyone's eyes on them.

The rest of the customers stayed silent a few more seconds, before breaking out into awkward conversations and hushed whispers to dissipate the tension. Derek was obligated to serve a couple drinks, but he couldn't keep his eyes off Stiles' back. Now hunched over the table, he had brought his hands up to hide his face as well, and the bartender was sure that he was silently crying.

After dealing with his current customers, Derek decided he couldn't take it anymore, and made his way over just as Stiles broke out into ugly sobs. He brought his arms around the boy as he'd done countless times before, gathered him up and held him against his chest, pressing his face into his shoulder and let him cry. He rubbed his back, telling him how sorry he felt, and gently guided him to the backroom's door. He could feel dozens of eyes on him, and did his best at hiding Stiles between his arms, not wanting anyone to see anymore of this mess. When they were safely behind the locked door, he kept on holding the sobbing boy against him, standing in the middle of shelves filled with bottles and glasses.

"I'm so sorry Stiles, I'm so sorry..."

As he kept his tight hold on him, slowly rocking him from side to side, he thought about sitting the boy down after he'd calmed down enough, and go fetch him a glass of pink lemonade with an umbrella and a slice of grapefruit.

When he did it, Stiles accepted the drink with a wet smile on his face.

"Thanks Der"

And he began crying again, pressing his face in Derek's shoulder when the man sat down on the floor beside him.

Derek couldn't help but feel a little bit of satisfaction about how the situation turned out.


End file.
